The Applied Improvisation Network

Spreading the Transforming Power of Improvisation

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Mike Everett-Lane Can "Yes And" Save The World?

I thought you all might be interested in reading Crisis and improvisation – a story from Liberia, a recent post by my friend and colleague Karen Hough:
I just got off my first international Skype call. I spoke with a social worker specializing in communities in crisis. She was calling from a war zone. And believe it or not, the call was about improvisation. That’s right
… Continue

Added by Mike Everett-Lane on November 27, 2009 at 12:28pm — No Comments

Bård Brænde In Trondheim...!

Hi guys - just had to pur in a short note about being in Trondheim for the moment... City is def not The same hehe. Anything you want me to shout out my window? :) Continue

Added by Bård Brænde on November 24, 2009 at 12:35pm — 1 Comment

Leif Hansen How to Facilitate WOW! Events (that keep people coming back for more) slideshare

If I had presented this year at the conference, I would likely have done something like this. These are the slides from my recent event "How to Facilitate WOW! Events that Keep People Coming Back for More", presented to 50 entrepreneurs and group leaders in the Seattle area. It's not polished, but there are enough goodies in there to keep you AIN'ers entertained. I think you'… Continue

Added by Leif Hansen on November 21, 2009 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Paul Levy Into the Woods - An Encounter Improvisation Exercise

This is an activity for exploring the dynamics of two people encountering each other. It allows exploration of: - pair dynamics - personal space and proximity - connection and disconnection - power and status - eye contact - interpersonal communication - competition and collaboration and many more themes! It works best with a group of about 8-10 people though this can be varied. The Process Two people enter a wood, encounter each other. Six people or more stand still in the spa… Continue

Added by Paul Levy on November 20, 2009 at 3:30pm — No Comments

Paul Levy Crystal Ball - an exercise in present and future improvisation

This is a lovely game for exploring the role of "visioning" and "futuring" in improvisation. When is knowing or deciding the future a help or a hindrance? Start with a group of five, with everyone else watching. Decide a scene to be played out. For example, a picnic. Choose someone to be crystal ball gazer (can be fun if you play this with a real crystal ball - a football or goldfish bowl will do! At any point during the scene, a member of the audience can shout "Crystal ball!" at which poin… Continue

Added by Paul Levy on November 19, 2009 at 10:30am — No Comments

Paul Levy Into the dark - a collaborative improvisation activity

This exercise explores the difference between visual and aural cues. It can be done in a small group of three or a bigger group. Stand in a small circle and begin a small improvised scene. You can have a rule that you must stay in the circle or, more challengingly, the circle can be broken and you can move into a fully acted scene. This can be done with as many groups as you like as long as their is space to move. In a small room, keep people in their circle. Examples of scenes can include:… Continue

Added by Paul Levy on November 19, 2009 at 10:00am — No Comments

Chris Corrigan Reflections on AIN in Portland

Ported over from my real blog, which you can read here. Almost 20 years ago I was a part of pioneering something and I had no idea I was doing that. Gathered under the creative eye of Rob Winslow at The Union Theatre in Peterborough Ontario, a small cast of us put on a weekly improvised soap opera called “The Cactus Hotel: A Western Philosophy” Every Sunday night all summer we improvised a one hour show that advanced the… Continue

Added by Chris Corrigan on November 18, 2009 at 11:07pm — No Comments

Inga Ryazanoff International Physical Theatre Lab - February 22 - 27, 2010

International Physical Theatre Lab February 22 - 27, 2010 Leitring bei Leibnitz, Austria Intensive practical training, lectures and discussions for actors of physical, dramatic, dance and musical theatres, dancers, choreographers, circus performers, directors. The working language is English. The Lab wil… Continue

Added by Inga Ryazanoff on November 18, 2009 at 12:17pm — No Comments

Paul Levy A Wonderfully Strange Improvisation Activity

A lot of impro games try to get you into the "spontaneity zone", in the present, in the moment. Some bring you right up to the present moment, but still allow you a few seconds before the present moment to "make something up". And, after all, a few seconds before the "moment" is so damn near the moment, it might just as well be "in the moment" anyway. But what about the moments "after the present moment"? Sit in a circle and start to tell a group story. One short sentence each is enough. It c… Continue

Added by Paul Levy on November 18, 2009 at 4:00am — No Comments

Paul Levy The Breath Improvisation

This is another strange and wonderfully minimalist exercise. Minimalist improvisation really can create a non-verbal experience of improvisation in its most essential form. This is best done in threes, sitting in a circle, close together, set apart from other groups. It can also be done VERY close together with foreheads touching. It can also be done standing in a circle with hands on the high back of the person in front of you. The aim is to be able to feel the breathing of the others in t… Continue

Added by Paul Levy on November 18, 2009 at 4:00am — 3 Comments

Leif Hansen Welcome home, and where to find post-conference goodies

Welcome home to 100+ of you Portland conference attendees, and to the 1083 other of you -welcome to the fruits of our fun & labor! ;) We missed seeing you and look forward to seeing you on the site and at future upcoming events. What a wonderful 3-4 days we have had together: tons of stimulating conversations and fun new interactivities; tons of rich new relationships and loving re-connections; tons of 'apply this' that we're each itching to bring back into our various businesses. Laughter,… Continue

Added by Leif Hansen on November 17, 2009 at 11:30am — 3 Comments

Cynthia Winton-Henry Gratitude

In addition to gaining a few new improv friends, I am grateful to be a joiner of the AIN. The conference served me well. As the cofounder of InterPlay, and part of the improvisation movement afoot in the world, I needed the infusion of collegiality, the transparency of other leading players, and the laughter! Thank you. I hope I can keep the connections going. The InterPlay work is up and growing. Hope AIN'er will check out our flavor of offering. Thank you especially to the organizers and leade… Continue

Added by Cynthia Winton-Henry on November 16, 2009 at 2:00pm — 4 Comments

Kevin Joyce I'm IN.

To all you AIN Conferees: Gratitude, wonder, clarity...the big three feelings I arrived home with after leaving Edgefield Manor. The event I had to host Saturday night in Tacoma, which required me to leave the wonderful Nick Owen keynote mid-stride, went beautifully. And it felt different - I felt different. I moved through it with a kind of buoyancy, mixed with light-touch focus. I'm struck by it today as well. Maybe it's that post-great-conference glow. I'm struck by the depth of the feeling o… Continue

Added by Kevin Joyce on November 15, 2009 at 10:24pm — 5 Comments

KidScape Productions Looking for workshops in the Reno, Nevada or Sacramento CA area

Does anyone know of workshops in the Reno, NV or Sacramento, CA area? Continue

Added by KidScape Productions on November 15, 2009 at 8:36am — No Comments

Leif Hansen It Started with Camp Magic....

Leif Hansen is Chief Engagement Officer for Spark Interaction . For over two decades he has been combining collaboration with creativity to inspire, engage and connect individuals and groups. Helping people discover a deeper level of trust, support, purpose, fun and creativity in their personal lives and workplaces is what keeps Leif happy.

Interview with Leif Hansen

TGL: So, how did you get into the world of

… Continue

Added by Leif Hansen on November 5, 2009 at 5:47pm — No Comments

Anahi Alexander Free eBook: Social Network Marketing, 12 Steps for Success

I got this one from a friend last night and read it cover to cover. This should help us all get to the next level in regards to marketing on social networks and social media. You can download it here: http://tinyurl.com/ybbbdo9 Continue

Added by Anahi Alexander on October 9, 2009 at 1:36pm — No Comments

Ann Feehan Robert McKee's book "Story"

I love Robert McKee's book on screenwriting called "Story". There are so many ideas about how to be a good writer (how to handle exposition, creating strong antagonists, reinventing genre, etc.). If you understand a theory, you can design a game/exercise to practice it. So many of his ideas easily lent themselves to design exercises that can make you both a better storyteller as well as being a better improviser. DETAIL vs CLICHE pg. 4 “An archetypal story creates settings and characters so ra… Continue

Added by Ann Feehan on October 1, 2009 at 7:30pm — 1 Comment

Ann Feehan Smallest Step

the President emailed (wow!) and suggested that we each try to take our "smallest steps" for AIN (and our networking/interaction within the AIN). My smallest steps 1) try out this blogging thing-a-majing 2) write down twitter address for AIN (somewhere I won't lose it) 3) post re Laughing Stock class this Saturday in San Francisco, with William Hall, the future ones with Chris Sams, Lisa Klein and Rich Cox, 4) catch up on the blog posts, forum discussions, new members 5) start transcribing game… Continue

Added by Ann Feehan on September 30, 2009 at 5:30pm — 5 Comments

Tom DiMenna Spit-Baller For Hire, $99/hr

Need someone to bounce ideas off of? The art of spit-balling can often be the first step of the creative process, especially in Comedy. Friends or siblings are not always the answer. If you need an outside perspective on your short film, sketch, music video, feature film, etc., or if you just have a vague idea of something you want to create, I am ready to help you develop your ideas in a safe, shame-free and supportive environment. No forced advice here, just an honest reaction, a creative syne… Continue

Added by Tom DiMenna on September 29, 2009 at 3:44pm — No Comments

Anahi Alexander Free 1 Year Subscription to Website Magazine

This was forwarded to me yesterday, and I thought I would share this with all of my friends since most of you have a website of your own. This is the top magazine for people with a website, and they are giving away subscriptions to boost their readership. The free subscription is the one on the right side of the web page below: http://tinyurl.com/yeaqe7o Feel free to pass it along to your friends also. Enjoy... Continue

Added by Anahi Alexander on September 29, 2009 at 8:37am — No Comments

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